Dayton plans to bring back speed, red-light cameras

An increase in traffic crashes and fatalities has Dayton police planning to bring back red-light and speed-detection cameras in the city.

Dayton police propose to use 10 fixed camera systems, six hand-held devices and two portable trailer units, restarting a controversial program that was shelved in mid-2015 after the state put tough new restrictions on the use of automated traffic cameras.

The Dayton Police Department will comply with state law and will only document and cite motorists for traffic violations caught on camera when officers are present at the equipment, said Dayton police Chief Richard Biehl.

State lawmakers passed legislation placing that and other requirements on use of the devices, but some Ohio cities challenged the constitutionality of the law. Dayton is still fighting to get key components of the law struck down.

Critics have accused cities of using traffic cameras primarily to generate revenue, and some have claimed that they are unconstitutional because they skirt due process and other protections.

“I have always maintained that photo-enforcement cameras were more about money than safety,” Ohio Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, who sponsored the legislation restricting use of the technology, told this news outlet in the past.

But Dayton’s cameras continued recording until the end of 2015 for data collection.

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BY THE NUMBERS

Dayton’s seen an increase in crashes and traffic deaths after enforcement cameras were blocked by a state law change.

2014: 16 traffic fatalities, 3,093 injury/property crashes

2016: 30 traffic fatalities, 4,326 injury/property crashes

UNMATCHED COVERAGE

The city of Dayton is expected to resume using speed-detection and red-light cameras, which for years have been controversial public safety tools. This newspaper has been the leading source of news about traffic cameras and lawmakers’ attempts to reduce police agencies’ reliance on technology vs. Ohio cities’ efforts to keep them rolling. We have provided unmatched coverage of this issue, which impacts safety, motorists and government coffers.